Apparatus and method for the administration of gases



Aug. 12,1111. K. CONNELL 2,251,986

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF GASES Filed May 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l l 1 INVENTOR a? Km"! (on We]! ATTORN EY Aug. '12, 1941. (:ONNELL I 2,251,986

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF GASES Filed May 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 295- I v if INVENTOR y? Karl 6'0"??? WAQA/A'Q ATTORNEY ficient Patented Aug. 12, 1941 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR. THE ADMINISTRATION OF GASES Karl Gonnell, Branch, N. Y., assignor to, Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, a corporation or New York Application May 7; 1938, Serial No. 206,506

4 Claims.

invention relates to apparatus and methods for theadministration of gases, such for instance as utilized for anesthesia and for various therapeutic purposes.

An object of the invention is the provision of anesthetic apparatus and apparatus of similar nature which is simple in construction, and effective and economical inoperation, and wherein a desired gas movement may be safely maintained independently of the act of breathing.

A more specific object is the provision of efand effective gas-movement-causing means of such character that the, gas will not be subjected to explosive tendencies.

A further object is the provision of improved means whereby gasin a closed breathing system may be treated, as for the reduction of the carbon-dioxide content thereof.

An additional object is the provision of improved methods utilizable in the art of administering a gas.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

In the administration of anesthetic and other therapeutic gases, great economies are effected by the use of a closed breathing system. In such systems, however, there is a tendency for the amount of carbon dioxide in the confined gas to build up to the point where it undesirably stimulates breathing; .and, accordingly, means especially in debilitated and in deeply anesthetized subjects. However, the anesthetic-gases are commonly provided to eliminate a suitable proportion of the carbon dioxide. Such means usually comprise a canister containing an absorption agent (ordinarily soda-lime granules) inserted in. a conduit thru which the gas is caused to move. Commonly the breathing e ffort itself is relied on to cause movement of the gas thru the absorption means. This results in imposing on the patient additional effort to over-- come the resistance of the absorption means. In

a to-and-fro system, this resistance must be overcome twice during each breathing cycle, and, in addition, there is sometimes a tendency for the caustic dust from the soda-lime to reach the patient and to be inhaled, and also the presence of the heat and bulk of the soda-lime near the patients face is disadvantageous. When a breathing circuit is employed, the resistance of the soda-lime is supplemented by the resistance of the channels composing the circuit, and also the inertia of the air and of the valves employed is weighted onto the patient. The normal volume of tidal breathing is about 6 to 8 liters per minute, and the usual resistance in the absorption means, connecting tubes, flutter valves, etc.,

in a correctly designed apparatus, is upward of 1 mm. of mercury. The resistance rises greatly under abnormal conditions, such as exaggerated breathing and various other factors. It is highly desirable that eflfort be lifted from the patient,

most commonly employed, such as ether, ethylene, and cyclopropane, are combustible, and with the admixture of oxygen ar highly sensitive to ignition and tend to ignite with explosive violence. Accordingly, proposals for the utilization of ordinary mechanical means, such as used for th circulation of gas in oxygen tents for the treatment ofpneumonia, to provide the desirable gas movement thru an absorptive agent or other gas-conditioning means are unsatisfactory due to the generation of static, the thermal effects of sudden compression, the danger of sparking from rapidly moving metallic parts, and from friction and the proximity of electric motors.

With the foregoing and other considerations in view, the present invention contemplates the provision of apparatus for the administration of gases comprising a closed breathing system and means for conditioning and causing movement of a gas, and including liquid-utilizing gas-movement-causing means; and in certain of its aspects contemplates the provision of various interrelated features and procedures whereby a gas may be desirably and safely moved and/or .treated without undue efiort on the part of thepatient.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of'elements and arrangement of parts, and the several steps and the relation and order of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others thereof, all of which will be exemplified hereinafter and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side view of one form of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1 and illustrating a modification;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1 and illustrating another modification;

Fig. 3a illustrates a modification .of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 3b illustrates a modification of another portion of this apparatus; 4

Fig. 4 is a'fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1 and illustrat- Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating another modification.

The invention as considered from an apparatus standpoint will be described in connection with the particularly exemplified embodiments of the invention-illustrated in the drawings, and the invention as considered from a method standpoint will be exemplified in connection with such description.

.The form of. apparatus exemplified in Fig. 1 comprises a breathing member, in the form of a mask 6, and a connector element I having branches 8 and 9, all of which as exemplified are similar to the corresponding elements disclosed in my Patent No. 2,099,841, issued November 23, 1937. From the branch 8 a conduit I leads to an expansible reservoir bag ll, equipped with a and reutilization of the water.

blow-off valve I2. From the interior of the bag II there extends a tube l3 forming a part of a circuit l4 which, in the present instance, in-

cludes an absorption means in the form of a soda-lime canister l5, and apparatus including gas-movement-causing means hereinafter to be described, as well as the branch 8, conduit ill, the interior of the bag II, and a conduit I6 leading to the branch 9.

From the conduit it there extends'in the present instance, a branch I! thru which anesthetic gas is introduced into the system from tanks 18 thru the medium of decompression valves l9, gage tubes 20, and sub-branches 2 I. In thepresent instance, the fiow gages embodying the gage tube 20 are of a character such as exemplified in my Patent No. 1,965,333, issued July 3, 1934. In the circuit N. there is provided, in the present instance, a control valve 22, check valves 23 and 24, and a fiow gage 25 which is of a character such asexemplified in my said, Patent No. 1,965,333.

Included in the circuit I4 is an injector pump 26 of the Bunsen type which includes a nozzle 21 adapted to eject water in a direction toward the absorption means I5-and into a restricted orifice 28,'wherein the liquid and gas are intermixed, intermixture continuing in a passageway 29 which leads to a separating chamber 30 containing separating screens 3| of suitable wire mesh or perforated material. An intimate and extensive mixing is secured. A vent 32 provides a means for supplying water. The normal level of the water is indicated at 33. A drain-cock 34 permits the water to be emptied. A conduit portion 35 leads to a bore 36, in a movable bracket 31; and the bore 36 opens into one end of the The injector pump '26 may, of course, be of. any I well-known or suitable variation of the exemplified form, and may be adapted for the usual movement of 8 to 16 liters of gas per minute under the usual resistance to circulation of about 4 to 6 mm. of mercury pressure. The puinp may be installed in multiple units where the limited viscosity of water renders multiple small-size injectors more economical or effective in operation than a single larger size injector.

While the introduction of water may. in accordance with the invention in its broader aspects, be from any suitable source of water power, and may, in certain instances, continually utilize fresh .water, it is advantageous, and ordinarily of considerable importance, that the water be continually reutiliz'ed, in order to prevent loss of the anesthetic gas which'is dissolved by the water and for other reasons. Accordingly there is provided means in closed continuity with the nozzle and the separating means for causing movement Such means, in

the present instance, includes a tube 42 leading to a pump 43, which may be of any suitable type of ordinary centrifugal pump, and a tube 44 leading from the pump to the nozzle 21. The pump 43 is driven from an'electric motor 45, which, in the present instance, is completely enclosed so that it may safely be utilized in proximity to the breathing system without danger of penetration of any spilled gas into the interior of the motor, and is magnetically shielded so as to be electrically remote from the breathing system. Suitable cooling means, such as a cooling coil 46 may be associated with the tube 44. In the present instance, the tubes 42 and 44 are interconnected by means of tube" embodying an adjustable pressure relief mechanism 48 which permits the motor and the pump to be run at any desirable speed and any water not desiredfor introduction at the nozzle to be merely circulated past the relief mechanism 48. I

By the use of water as the gas-movement-causing means, no static is generated, the slight compression of a gas is made isothermal in a quenching medium without danger of spontaneous combustion, and movement is without friction dangers or the possibility of abrasive sparks thru contact of rapidly moving parts. Aside from causing gas movement, the injection of water has additional advantages in that the gas is chilled and cleaned'of-circulating particles of sputum and other impurities, and the total water-vapor pressurelessened.

The conduit I0 is substantially resistance-free.

If it is of sufficient capacity to contain of the exhaled volume and is of sufficiently small bore to prevent substantial mixture of purified gas with exhaled gas during the idle third of the respiratory cycle (see my Patent No. 2,073,192 issued March 9, 1937) then a circulation thru the circuit l4 of eight liters per minute of conditioned air will insure that the inhaled volume will be satisfactorily free from carbon dioxide content. In arrangements wherein a breathing bag, such as H, approximates the face of the patient, the purified stream from the circuit l4 tends to commingle with the exhaled gas and a rate of circulation (thru the circuit l4) above twelve liters per minute is desirable under usual conditions.

As exemplified in Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises. a closed breathing system which is of the to-and-fro type wherein the exhaled gases pass thru the branch 8 and the conduit III and into the bag II, and wherein during inhalation gas may be drawn from the bag ll back thru the conduit M, as well as from the pipe I8. Except for the presence of the gas-fiow-causing means 26,1211 gas reinhaled would be drawn back thru the conduit III. While such an arrangement embodies the invention in its preferred form for many pur.. poses; the invention in other of its aspects is to be adapted to be embodied in a form of construction comprising a breathing circuit, such for example as that exemplified in my said Patent No. 2,099,841.

One, form of construction of this type is ex emplified in Fig. 2, only so much of the apparatus as differs from the apparatus of Fig. 1 being shown. Similar parts are indicated by similar reference numerals distinguished by the sub-,

script 'a. In this form of construction, the breathing bag I la instead of being disposed at the end of the conduit is connected to the conduit Mile, and the check valve 24 is replaced by a flutter-valve construction 24a which may be similar to; that exemplified in my said Patent No.

2,099,841. The portion of the circuit l4a which extends from the conduit Illa to the conduit 35a is similar to the corresponding portion of the circuit I4 of Fig. 1. By-passing this portion of the circuit, however, there is a conduit 49 extending from the end of the conduit Illa to the conduit 35a and including a flutter-valve arrangement 50 similar to the flutter-valve arrangement 24a and arranged to permit gas movement on exhalation in a direction similar to the direction in which gas is moved thru the circuit l4a by the gas-movement-causing means 26a.

There is thus provided an arrangement similar to the arrangement illustrated in my said Patent No. 2,099,841,, but wherein circulation thru the absorption means maybe carried on by the gasmovement-causing means independent of or supplementary to the movement resulting from the force of breathing. While the gas-movement-causing means of Fig. 2 is exemplified as by-passing the valve 50 in the circuit thru which gas is adapted to move in response to the patients breathing, the gas-movement-caus'ing means may be disposed to connect other suitable portions of the circuit, as for example, to connect the conduit 4l0a with the conduit which extends from the valve construction 24a to the gage 25a, so as to by-pass the valve construction 24a of Fig. 2.

while in certain of its aspects the invention contemplates the provision of gas-movementcausing means for assisting orjnducing gas flow thru an absorption means, the invention in other r of its aspects contemplates the provision of liquidutilizing means wherein the liquid utilized to cause gas-movement contains an absorbent chemical, For example, caustic soda or caustic potash may be employed; suitable means, such for instance as a canister filled with small glass ballsrangement embodying this feature of the inven-' tion. In this form of construction the. parts not particularly exemplified may be similar to those shown in the other figures, and, as particularly illustrated, the portion shown is adapted to be utilized in the form of construction shown in Fig'. 1. Similar parts are designated by similar reference numerals distinguished by the subscript b. In the form of construction of Fig. 3, the conduit 35b leads directly from the separating chamber 30b'to the mist-removing chamber 39b, no soda-limev canister being provided. The tube 42b is enlarged at one portion to include a removable portion providing a chamber 52 which is filled with a suitable chemical shown at 53. The operation of the liquid-circulating pump (such as 43) causes the water to flow over the chemical in'the container 52 and to dissolve or otherwise embody the same, so that gas moving past the injector nozzle and thru the passageway 29b will be subjected to the action of the chemical in the water to cause the absorption of carbon dioxide thereby.

In accordance with the invention in its broader aspects the chemical may be mixed with the water in any suitable manner, as for instance by a stirrer 54 in a bucket 55 as shown in Fig. 3a,

the water being introduced into the water-circulating unit thru the vent 320, or otherwise, and being removed, as thru the drain-cock 340, when the absorptive action of the chemical has un-.-

desirably diminished.

plemental eliminating means, exemplified as a canister 56 which may desirably contain granules of a chemical which will serve as both an eliminator for the mist and a neutralizant for the alkali. As exemplified, this canister is inserted in the tube 35d which extends from the separating chamber 30d. It may, of course, be otherwise suitably provided, as for instance being mounted similarly to the canister IE or being inserted in place of the chamber 39, or at a suitable point in the circuit beyond this chamber. a

In certain instances liquid-utilizing mechanical means may be employed to cause gas-flow and/or mixing of a liquid with the gas. One suchform of construction is exemplified at Fig. 4 wherein parts similar to those of Fig. 1 are designated by similar reference numerals distinguished by subscript e. In this forin of construction there is provided a mixing pump, over the parts of which water is continuously flowing. In the form of construction particularly exemplified, a tube l3e leads to the chamber 51 of a centrifugal pump 58 comprising a rotor 59 having blades 60, the rotating unit being free-running within the chamber.- The chamber is provided with an outlet thru which the blades drive water, and from which a pipe Bl leads to the separating chamber 30c containing a baflle 62 and water-eliminating screens 3le. A pipe 63, having a control valve 64,

leads from the bottom of the separating chamber to the pipe lie, so that water from the separating chamber will flow back into the chamber 51 wherein water and gas are intimately and ex-v tensively mixed and forced into the separating chamber, whence the gas moves out thru the pipe 35c.

In certain cases, liquid-utilizing gas-move- I ment-causing means which have no substantial .mixing action may be employed. In accordance with the invention such means may embody pro-Q pulsion means which are suitably safe-guarded by the presence of water or other liquid. In Fig. 5, there is exemplified one such form of arrange- 1 ment which may, in certain instances, be sub- -stituted for other, types of gas-movement-causing means previously exemplified. 'I'he gas-movement-causing means 26 of Fig. 5 comprises an expansile contractile chamber particularly exemplifled as wet-leather bellows 65, the interior acting to move fluid to and fro thru a channel it to exert alternating pressure and suction on the wet-leather bellows 65, thus providing a source of fluid power. The movement of the bellows 65 causes gas movement thru the conduit, the direction of this movement being determined by the valves 23] and 24!.

o In Fig. 6 there is exemplified another form of propulsion means of somewhat similar construction. In this form, mechanical means corresponding to the bellows means 85 is omitted, the

water or other liquid utilized effectingthe pro-- pulsion action directly. In the present instance a bellows 81y operated by a cam construction 68g alternately drives water or other liquid thru a channel 899 in a chamber 680 which forms a part of the circuit Ila. As the level of the water rises in the chamber 86 gas will be expelled therefrom, and as the level of the water falls gas will be drawn into it. The valves 23g and 24g serve to assure gas movement in the proper direction in response to the expulsion of gas from the chamber and the suction of gas into it.

Gas-movement-causing means such as exem-v pliiied in Figs. hand 6 may desirably be employed in pairs, each unit being a part0; the circuit such as I or'ila, as the case may be,'and the units being arranged in parallel with the action of the units so coordinated that the flow of gas in the circuit H] or Ila will be substantially continuous. For example, the cam construction 68g of one unit may be arranged to compress its bellows a while the cam construction 68;: in a successive unit is lifting its bellows 819. The path of gas flow thru the circuit Mg will in this arrangement be divided into branches before entering the units, one branch going to each unit, and will be brought together again after leaving the individual units thru individual branches; suitable means being provided to prevent gas frpm flowing back and forth .between the units, as for instance by inserting valves 'of the type ."hown in Fig. 1 or in apparatus such as that of Fig. l as modified in accordance with showings of one or the other of the figures, and either an arrangement such as shown in Fig. 3a or one such as shown in Fig. 317, or both, may be substituted for the corresponding portion shown in Fig. 3, without departing from the invention in at least certain of its various aspects. It is to be understood that the terms gasf? gases." and the like are used herein generically to include various types of gas regardless of.whether the particular gaseous medium employed in a particular instance consists of a single chemical element or of a mixture of a plurality of chemical elements.

Since certain changes may be made in the constructions set forth and in carrying out the above method, and difierent embodiments of the invention may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings ofthe valves 23 and 24 in the inlet and outlet branches of each unitl g It is to be noted that the invention not only serves to relieve the patient of breathing efiort, but also permits the absorption of carbofrdioxide or other treating eifect to be increased above that which would ordinarily be obtained when breathing alone is relied on to cause gas-movement. I

As will be appreciated, while only one type of gas-movement-causing means will ordinarily be utilized with any given apparatus, and while the arrangement of Fig. 3, whether utilized as indicated or as modified, will ordinarily only be utilized in connection with means wherein water is mixed with the gas, as in Figs. 1, 2 and 4; the

in various combinations, and, in particular, the modifications exemplified in the various figures may be advantageously embodied, except ordiportion of a breathing system and in a direction which will cause gas-flow therein a liquid which various modifications exemplified maybe utilized narily, as above indicated, in apparatussuch as shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim: I 7

1. Apparatus for the administration of gases, comprising a closed breathing system, a liquidcircuit, a conduit common to said breathing system and said liquid-circuit, injector means included in said liquid-circuit and adapted to discharge liquid into said conduit in a direction which will cause gas movement therethru, means to, propel liquid thru said liquid-circuit, and means for associating said liquid with an absorbent chemical during its movement thru said liquid-circuit.

2. Apparatus for the administration of gases, comprising means providing a closed breathing system, a circuit forming at least apart of said system, means to introduce water into a portion of said circuit so as to propel gas thru said circuit, means to remove the water from the said circuit, means to associate an absorptive agent with the water, means to conduct said water from said removing means to said associating means and from said associating means to said introducing means, and means to propel said water thru said conducting means for the re-utilization of said water, and means to empty and refresh the water.

3. In the art ofadministering gas, a method of removing carbon dioxide from gas breathed by a patient which comprises injecting into a circuit forming at least a part of a closed breathing system and in a direction which will cause gas-flow therethru a liquid which contains an absorbent chemicaL- I 4. In the art of administering a gas, the method of removing carbon dioxide from gas breathed by a patient which comprises injecting into a contains an absorbent chemical, removing the liquid from said portion, associating additional chemical with said liquid, and reinjecting said liquid into said portion.

' KARL CONNELL. 

